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November 30, 2007

Some people think so...that's why Talisman Energy Inc. is rethinking how they construct and build wind turbines. There was a good article yesterday in the WSJ about Talisman's efforts to build wind turbines 15 miles off the coast of Scotland...an effort that will take at least another 7 or 8 years and hundreds of millions of dollars. Building further out in the ocean requires deep-water wind-farm technology due to the increased ocean depth (technology similar to that used for building oil rigs). Many people don't want to see wind turbines a few hundred feet from their coast...however, critics claim that the deep-water wind farms will encroach on shipping lanes and are too expensive (i.e., building the infrastructure to hook the turbine up to the grid). I can see both sides of the argument but I think that I would be more in favor of deep-water building if the costs could be controlled in the long-term. Scotland is definitely taking a long position on the renewable energy sector, hoping to defer the large initial capital expense over many years. Article link here.

November 21, 2007

Business Bay is home to some amazing buildings and Synergy will be one more. Synergy, designed by Sanjay Puri Architects, will be a 20-story office structure made of stacked cubes or cuboids that are integrated in such a way as to not only create unique terrace space for the occupants to enjoy but the design is intended to keep the interior spaces cooler, reducing the amount of heat gain that enters the structure. Sanjay Puri Architects' website here and World Architecture News here.

November 19, 2007

The city of Chicago recently announced that the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart are being retrofitted to meet LEED certification standards, making the Sears Tower the largest green structure in the United States. News link.

This is a trend that will obviously continue. Due to the vast number of built-to-code structures already existing, it wouldn't make any business/economical sense to knock everyone of them down and build it back green. Green retrofits are a good solution; however, you have to crunch the numbers. I am sure there are some projects out there that would be better off bull-dozing and starting from scratch. You also have to be aware of the public's desire for preservation. The architectural fabric of a particular city can take decades to build and tear-down strategies are often met with public resistance.

I would be curious to hear from any of you that have done a green retrofit...whether it be a commercial structure or a personal residence. Did it cost more than you anticipated? What were some of the obstacles? How did the project turn out?

November 12, 2007

Today's post is written and contributed by Yeves Perez. Yeves is the founder of the Eco Investment Club and is a vocal proponent for green building. We have been in communications the last few weeks as he gets ready for his GreenMeet in New York on November 19th discussing the topic "Where Green Dollars Fund The Green Movement." Perez, a resident of San Diego, expressed his concern for those families affected by the fires in Southern California and wanted an opportunity to write about green building in such a way as to help with the rebuilding process. This post will be the first in a 5-part series that will take a look at the opportunity for green building, not only in Southern California but in other areas of our country and world where building, re-building, or new construction is taking place. As many people continue to cope and contemplate their next step, this becomes an excellent opportunity to talk about the benefits of green building. It is with sincere respect for those affected by the fires in Southern California that I post this article.

As the world witnesses the most devastating wildfires in California’s history, the citizen’s who have endured this tragedy have “absolutely” decided to rebuild their homes, some within hours of watching them burn to the ground. The air quality is thick from the fire’s rage, viewable from space, unhealthy to breathe. However, from the ashes of this disaster, the residents of Southern California are faced with an incredible opportunity to join the fight against Global Warming by rebuilding “Green”.

November 04, 2007

I hit the jackpot today with green videos. I have been on a dry spout lately trying to find really cool, information videos about green building and green trends. Anyway, this video is about Blaken Holden and his efforts to restore an old rundown Brooklyn Brownstone (an old brown sandstone which was once a popular building material especially in NYC) into a vintage green home. Very interesting.

November 01, 2007

The Push Button House by Adam Kalkin is a fully functional living space that opens and closes with relative easy...easy to ship and ready to use. A great addition to the container collection! Via architechnophilia.